Musselman hopes to return for Auburn showdown
FAYETTEVILLE — Eric Musselman had planned to go ice skating with his wife and daughter on Wednesday.
Instead the University of Arkansas basketball coach went on a socially-five-mile walk by himself around his neighborhood.
“This is my third workout today,” Musselman said. “I'm going freakin' crazy.”
Musselman can't be around anyone right now — including his family members — because he's quarantining for contact tracing reasons after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
It's a situation that has caused Musselman, who is 56 and began coaching in 1989, to miss one his team's games for the first time when Arkansas beat Abilene Christian 85-72 on Tuesday in Walton Arena.
Assistant coach David Patrick took over as head coach while Musselman watched the game on television in the theater room at his house.
“It was really unique,” Musselman said. “Something I'd never experienced before.”
Musselman said he didn't scream at the television screen or damage anything in the room.
“It really helped that we got off to a great start,” he said.
The Razorbacks (8-0) jumped out to an 11-1 lead and were ahead by as many as 22 points in the first half against the Wildcats (7-2), whose only other loss this season was 51-44 at No. 15 Texas Tech.
Abilene Christian pulled within nine points of Arkansas, 77-68, with 3:25 left, but couldn't get any closer.
“I'm glad we played the way we did the first 20 minutes and not the way we did the last 12 minutes,” Musselman said. “But after the start we had, I didn't ever really think the game was in jeopardy at all.
“That puts it in a different light when you're watching it from home than if it had been a really close game.”
For much of the first half Musselman was on the SEC Network telecast talking with Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes, the former Arkansas player and coach of the women's team.
For Musselman, it was a reminder of his days as a television analyst for California Comcast for three seasons when he was between coaching jobs and worked games involving Stanford, California, Saint Mary's and California-Davis.
“I loved it,” Musselman said of his appearance on the SEC Network. “The original text was, ‘ Can you come on during the 16-minute mark and go until the 12-minute mark?' Then after every break, they kept saying, ‘Do you want to come back on?'
“I said, ‘Yeah. It's either this or just take notes.'“Musselman, who said he's hopeful of being able to coach the Razorbacks when they play their next game at Auburn on Dec. 30, still took a lot of notes from Tuesday's game.
Michael Musselman, Eric's son and the Razorbacks' director of recruiting, came by his father's house and dropped off in the mail box the Auburn scouting report that was put together by the Arkansas staff.
“We did about a 45-page statistical breakdown of Auburn,” Eric Musselman said. “I went through it, took notes, highlighted things.”
Musselman then watched Auburn's 67-53 victory over Appalachian State on Tuesday night, and took notes on that. He then put all of his notes on Auburn into a package and put it in his mailbox for his son to pick up.
“Michael took it to the office, scanned it and emailed it to the entire staff,” Musselman said. “I probably have too much time on my hands. I have enough ideas we could have a five-hour practice when we get back together [on Saturday], even though I know nobody can practice that long.
“I know I'm not going to be part of that practice, but my job's still to try to go into as much detail on what we want to get accomplished as we can.”
Musselman said he took tests for COVID-19 on Wednesday and plans to do so again on Friday night, then again on Monday.
He hopes those tests will come back negative and allow him to coach the SEC opener.
“I want to get back to coaching my team as quickly as I can for the game against Auburn and for practice preparation,” Musselman said. “Sometimes practice and the preparation is more important than the game.
“I'll take a test whenever I have to do it. I'll take 100 tests if that's what it takes to get back with my team.”
Sam Pittman, Arkansas' football coach, missed the Razorbacks' game at Florida this season after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Coach Pittman called me at halftime of our game on Tuesday,” Musselman said. “He just wanted to check in and see how I was doing.”
Musselman praised the job done by Patrick in leading Arkansas to its victory over Abilene Christian.
The Razorbacks had four fewer staff members than usual on the bench with Musselman, assistant coach Clay Moser, director of basketball operations Anthony Ruta and video coordinator Riley Hall all being in quarantine.
Patrick was the head coach at California-Riverside the previous two seasons and assistant coach Corey Williams had head coaching experience at Stetson. The staff for Tuesday's game also included Michael Musselman, Hays Myers, Pat Ackerman and Earl Boykins.
“Obviously, David deserves the bulk of the credit, because when you sit in that head coach's chair, it's never easy,” Musselman said. “But our stuff really did a great job of stepping up.”
After Musselman learned Tuesday morning he couldn't be at the game, he talked to each player individually, then addressed the team at the Razorbacks' shoot-around.
“When I talked to the players, I sensed in each of their voices, ‘Hey, we've got this. Don't worry. We're going to be fine,'” Musselman said. “They all were really, really good on the phone.”
Then the Razorbacks were good on the court, too. “You're able to sit back and watch the game without as much emotion,” Musselman said. “I actually was way calmer than I thought I would be.”
The players started a short Christmas break after Tuesday's game. They are off until Saturday.
Musselman said he's confident his players will do what it takes to keep themselves safe from COVID-19 while they are at home for a few days.
“I think our guys have done a remarkable job of understanding the importance of social distancing,” Musselman said. “I think you've just got to trust them.